Clutch housing insulator



Aug- 31, 1943- N. E. WAHLBERG ET AL CLUTCH HOUSING INSULATOR Filed Dec.27, 1941 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 INVENTOR WAHLBER G 5. BERRY ATTORNEY NILS ERIKBY WALLACE Aug. 31, 1943.

N. E. WAHLBERG'ET AL CLUTCH HOUSING INSULATO'R I Filed Dec. 27, 1941 2Sheets-Sheet 2 0 u v6 I. a 1 6 A \v\ n I. n- A A I, a 29/7,? iWrlll'llfllfllln 4 6 H w H 1 1 Eli NIL5 I 1 OR ERIK A I- IEEERG BERR EuATTORNEY w BY WALLACE s.

Patented Aug. 31, 1943 CLUTCH HOUSING INSULATOR Nils Erik Wahlberg,Chicago, 111., and Wallace S.

Berry, Kenosha, Wis., assignors to Nash-Kelvinator Corporation, Kenosha,Wis., a corporation of Maryland Application December 27, 1941, SerialNo. 424,622

8 Claims.

This invention relates to driving units for automotive vehicles and hasparticular reference to means for connecting the motor and clutch of anautomobile.

It is an object of this invention to provide means for connecting themotor and clutch of an automobile to prevent the transmission of noisebetween th motor and clutch housing of the automobile.

It is another object of this invention to provide means for dampeningvibrations set up in the clutch housing of an automotive driving unit.

It is another object of this invention to provide a flexible insertbetween the rigid motor and rigid clutch housing of an automotivevehicle.

Other objects and advantages of this invention will be apparent from aconsideration of the following description and claims and the attacheddrawings, of which there are two sheets, and in which Figure 1represents a side elevational view of the driving unit of an automotivevehicle as attached to the fram members of the vehicle;

Figure 2 represents a sectional view taken along a plane indicated bythe line 22 in Figure 1 and looking in the direction of the arrows;

Figure 3 represents a longitudinal sectional view through one of thefront motor supports illustrated in Figure 1;

Figure 4 represents a longitudinal sectional view through the vibrationdampener illustrated in Figure 1;

' Figure 5 represents a rear elevational View of the motor block and istaken along a plane indicated by the line 55 in Figure l and looking inthe direction of the arrows;

Figure 6 represents a front elevational view of the plate attached tothe rear of the motor block;

Figure 7 represents a front elevational view of the clutch housing andis taken along a plane indicated by the line 1-1 in Figure 1 and lookingin the direction of the arrows:

Figure 8 represents a rear elevation of the clutch housing as attachedto the motor block and is taken along a plane indicated by the line 8--8in Figure 1 and looking in the direction of the arrows;

Figure 9 represents a vertical longitudinal sectional view through theclutch housing and rear portion of the motor block and is taken along aplane indicated by the line 9-9 in Figure 8 and looking in the directionof the arrows;

Figure 10 represents an enlarged detailed view of the connection betweenthe top of the clutch housing and the motor block shown in Figure 9; and

Figure 11 represents a sectional view through the connection between thelower portion of the clutch housing and the motor block and is takenalong the plane indicated by the line l|--ll in Figure 8 and looking inthe direction of the arrows.

Numerous efforts have been made in recent years to reduce the noiseemanating from internal combustion motors and to prevent thetransmission of this noise to the bodies of automobiles in which themotors are installed. It is generally believed that a considerableamount of this noise is caused by the small deflections in the crankshaft of the automobile which cause the crankshaft to break through theoil film in the bearings which support the crankshaft. The resultingcontact between the crankshaft and the bearings produces a knockingnoise which is transmitted through the various parts of the motor anddriving unit to the automobile body and which may reach an undesirable,audible level. A great deal of the noise is believed to be caused bydynamic vibrations in the flywheel and vibration dampener which areusually attached to oppositeends of the crankshaft and which formweights supported on the free ends of the crankshaft overhanging thebearings. These weights tend to bend the crankshaft and the tendency isgreatly increased by any dynamic unbalance in the weights when rotatedat high speed. This is particularly true of vibration dampeners whichare purposely unbalanced to counteract torsional vibrations in thecrankshaft.

In an efiort to control this noise, it has been the practice to mountthe motor block and driv- .ing unit of the automobile on the frame ofthe automobile by means of rubber or other deformable cushions. However,it has been found that if the rubber cushions are made soft enough todampen the relatively high frequency noises in the motor, they will betoo soft to adequately support the motor and will permit the entiremotor to rock, thus imparting new vibrations to the automobile.

Applicants have found that even the most effective motor mounts do notprevent noise from reaching the body of the automobile and haveconcluded that a large percentage of the total noise is air borne fromthe clutch housing which has a relatively large curved surface and actsas a bell to radiate sound waves. These sound waves are believed to becaused by the knocking vibrations in the motor just described and alsoby natural frequency vibrations of the clutch housing set up bytransmitting the motor vibrations to the housing.

This invention proposes to insulate the motor block from the remainderof the driving unit and particularly the clutch housing by means of aflexible insert between the motor block and the clutch housing and thusprevent the noises from being transmitted from the motor block to theclutch housing from where they may be transmitted to the remainder ofthe automobile either through direct material contact or by air bornesound waves. It is believed that this insulation also acts to dampennatural frequency vibrations in the clutch housing itself and preventthe clutch housing from acting as a bell and emitting air borne noises.

With the above general description in mind, attention is called toFigure l of the drawings which illustrates an internal combustion motor2!! to the rear end of which is attached a clutch housing 22. The rearof the clutch housing is connected to a change speed gear case 24 whichis in turn connected to an overdrive gear case 26. The overdrive gearcase is connected through a flexible joint generally indicated at '28 toa' torque tube til which encloses a propeller shaft and extendsbackwardly to the differential housing 32. The joint 28 includeshorizontally spaced bolts 29 and is arranged to transmit thrust loads btween the torque tube and the overdrive housing. The joint is moreparticularly described and claimed in the co-pending application of NilsErik Wahlberg for a Torque tube drive, Serial No. 336,664, filed May 22,1940, which issued as Patent No. 2,311,143, February 16, 1943.

The dilferential housing carries the rear axle housings 3 6 within whichis enclosed the rear axle 38 for driving the rear wheels 38. Coilsprings ii are mounted on the rear axle housing for supporting the bodyof the automobile over the rear wheels.

It will be noted that the motor 29, clutch housing 22, transmissionhousing 24 and overdrive housing 26 form a relatively rigid unit Whichis supported upon the frame members 42 by means of a front cross member54 and a rear cross member it. The connection between the motor and thefront cross member 44 is more clearly illustrated in Figure 3 andconsists of a plate 43 secured to the front of the motor block. Theplate 38 is provided with a forwardly extending flange 51 to theunderside of which are secured tubes 52 which extend longitudinally ofthe motor on each side thereof. The tubes 52 are secured to the flange50 as by welding at 54 and are connected to brackets 53 carried on thecross member '44 by a joint which is more clearly illustrated in Figure3.

The connection between the tube 52 and the bracket 56 consists of a pairof flat links 58, the ends of which are attached to bolts Ell passedthrough the tube 52 and a similar tube 62 welded to the underside of thebracket as at 54. Sleeves 65 of rubber or other deformable'material arepositioned around the bolts Ell and within the tubes 52 and 62. Thesleeves 66 extend beyond the ends of the tubes and are compressedbetween links 53 which are positioned one at each end of the tubes whenthe bolts 65 are tightened. The end compression on the sleeves 65expands their center sections to tightly grip the bolts 6%) and theinsides ofthe tubes 52 and 62. A rubber block 63 is positioned betweenthe top of the bracket 56 and the tube 52 to assist the links-53 insupportin the motor. v I

The connection between the transmission housing 24 and the rear crossmember 46 is more clearspaced apertures I34 registering wit 1y disclosedin Figure 2 and consists of a downwardly opening, channel shaped bra-rI4, the flanges of which are nested within the upturned flanges it of alower bar '18. The upper bar is secured to the underside of thetransmission housing by means of stud bolts to and nuts 82 while thelower bar 78 is secured to the top of the cross member 45 by the bolts8Q. Rubber or other deformable material 33 is positioned between theupper and lower bars M and i8 and is preferably bonded thereto toinsulate the bars from each other and prevent a metal to metalconnection between the transmission housing 24 and the cross member 45.The upper wall of the cross member 46 and the lower wall of the bar 78are apertured as at 88 to permit access to the nuts 82 for securing theupper bar '54 to the transmission housing 24.. The plate 93 which closesthe rear cross member :36 to form a hollow box section is also aperturedat 92 to permit access to both the nuts 82 and the bolts 33.

The motor 20 is provided at its forward end with a torsional vibrationdampener generally indicated at 94, the construction of which is moreparticularly indicated in Figure 4 and which consists of a staticallyunbalanced annular inertia member '96 connected to an inner hub member93 by means of the bolts hit. The bolts lilo extend through rubberbiscuits Hi2 positioned in pockets in the inertia member and the inertiamember is-insulated from the hub 98 by a sleeve I6 5 of rubber and adisc H16 of friction material so that there is no metallic contactbetween the inertia member and the hub. The inertia mem ber 96 is thuspermitted to rotate slightly relative to the hub 93 which is securelyfastened to the crankshaft. The construction and operation of thevibration dampener is more clearly described and claimed in theco-pending application of Nils Erik Wahlberg and Floyd F. Kishline, fora Vibration dampener, Serial No. 401,982, filed July 11, 1941.

Considering now the connection between the ear end of the motor block 22and the clutch housing 22, attention is called to Figures 5 through 11which disclose the motor block to be provided with a lower vertical faceI08 in which is cut the semi-cylindrical notch its for receiving theupper half of the rear main bearing I'I2. Spaced upwardly from the lowerface I88 is an upper face II 'i formed on a pad i Itcast on the rear ofthe motor block. The pad 'I IB may be hollowed out as at lit in order tolighten the motor'block and is provided with three apertures I20 whichare tapped to receive the stud bolts i 22.

The lower face Hi3 extends laterally to each side of the main portion ofthe motor block and is provided with spaced apertures E23 which arepositioned approximately along a horizontal line extending through theaxis of the crankshaft I25. Other apertures I28 are provided for apurpose which will be described presently.

The faces I08 and IM are arranged to support the plate I28 which isprovided with a semicircular cutout !39 to clear the crankshaft and withapertures l 32 registering with the apertures I29 in the upper face I I4of the motor block and h the apertures I24 in the lower face of themotor block.

Secured. along the lower edge of the plate lit and around thesemi-circular notch 138 is a gasket I36 of rubber or other deformablematerial which is designed toprevent .dirt from passing between theplate and the lower -face IE8 to the bearing H2. The gasket I36 is cutaway as at I38 around apertures I40 which register with the aperturesI26 in the motor block and through which screws may be passed to supportthe plate I28 on the motor block during the process of assembling themotor and clutch mechanism.

The upper part of the plate I28 carries a pad I42 which extends betweenand around the apertures I32. The pad I42 consists of a metal plate I44which is spaced from the plate I28 by a thin strip I46 of rubber orother deformable material preferably bonded to plates I28 and I44. Thepurpose of the upper pad I42 will be described presently. It should benoted that the plane of the upper face II4 of the motor block isparallel to the lower face I68 but is displaced forwardly therefrom tomake room for the pad I42 and permit the plate I28to lie parallel toeach face.

The plate I28 is also provided with metal pads I48 which are secured asby welding to the plate and are provided with apertures concentric withthe apertures I34 in the lower edge of the plate I28.

The clutch housing 22 is formed as a casting and is generally bellshaped with the lower portion being cut off along a plane I50 to whichthe clutch pan I52 is attached in the normal fashion.

The clutch housing 22 is provided with a flange I54 around the forwardedge thereof which joins with a flange I 55 along the plane I50 and isfurthere provided with a flat rear face I56 defining the aperture I58and holes I60. The flange I54 corresponds to the rim, and the rear faceI55 to the base, of a bell to which the acoustic properties of thehousing may be compared. The aperture I58 receives the clutch shaftbearing I62 (see Figure 9) and the holes I60 are arranged to pass boltsby means of which the transmission housing 24 is secured to the rearface I56. A hollow cylindrical boss I6I is integrally cast with theclutch housing 22 and is arranged to enclose a starter gear and shaft(not shown) for engagement with the flywheel I66.

The clutch shaft bearing I62 extends forwardly from the transmissionhousing 24 through the aperture I58 and supports the clutch shaft andthe clutch throw out collar I64 while the remainder of the clutchmechanism I65 is supported in the normal fashion on the flywheel I66secured.

to the rear end of the crank shaft I25. ihe construction of the clutchmechanism does not form a part of this invention and may be of anystandard type known to the automotive art today.

The flange I54 around the clutch housing 22 is provided with threeapertures I68 which are arranged to match with the apertures I32 in theplate I28 and the apertures I20 in the motor block 20. The flange I54 isalso provided with horizontally spaced apertures I which are arranged toalign themselves with the apertures I34 in the plate I28 and theapertures I24 in the lower face of the motor block. Stud bolts I22extend from the motor block through the apertures I32 in the plate I28and apertures I64 at the top of the clutch housing 22 and bolts I12 arepassed through the apertures I10 at the lower side of the clutchhousing, apertures I34 in the plate and apertures I24 in the lower faceof the motor block 20. These connections are more clearly illustrated inFigures 10 and 11.

Figure 10 illustrates the aperture I10 in the clutch housing 22 to belarger than the stud bolt I22 so that a sleeve I14 may be positionedtelescopically around the bolt I22 and extend between the surface of theplate I44 and the washer I16 which abuts against the nut I18 on the studbolt I22. Thus the sleeve I14 limits the compression that can be put onthe rubber strip I46 by tightening the nut I18.

The lower edge of the clutch housing 22 is secured to the laterallyextending portion of the lower face I08 of the motor block 26' by thebolts I12 which are extended through the apertures I24 in the lower faceI08, the apertures I34 in the plate I28 and throughthe apertures I16 inthe flange I54 of the clutch housing. Attention is called to the factthat the bolts I12 are reduced in diameter as at I so that there isclearance between the threaded portion of the bolts and a portion'of theflange I54 through which the bolts extend. Attention is also called tothe fact that the metal pads I48 secured to the plate I28 space thefront surface of the plate I28 from the rear face of the motor block. Itis this space that the gasket I36 is arranged to seal.

In operation, the direct metal contact from the lower rear face I08 ofthe motor block 20 through the pads I48 to plate I28 to flange I54 ofthe clutch housing 22 will transmit driving and braking thrust betweenthe motor block and clutch housing and will maintain the parts in properlongitudinal alignment. The upper edge of the flange I54 may slide overthe sleeves I14 and studs I22 within the limits of the compressibilityof the rubber. I46 and the clutch housing 22 will thus rock slightlyabout a horizontal axis through the crankshaft I25 and pads I46.

It is believed that the connection between the motor block and clutchhousing just described operates in a dual capacity to reduce the area ofmetal to metal contact between the motor block and the clutch housingand thus reduce the area through which noise and vibrations fromthe'motor may be transmitted directly to the clutch housing fortransmission to the rear Inotor support and radiation from the bellsurface of the clutch housing and to also act as a dampener on the freeedge of the clutch housing to dampen the natural vibrations of thehousing. It should also be noted that the flexible connection will alsoact in the manner just described to prevent sound from traveling in areverse path from the clutch housing to the motor block and front motormountings.

While we have described our invention in some detail, we intend thisdescription to be an example only and not as a limitation of ourinvention, to which we make the following claims:

1. In combination with a motor block having a crankshaft therein,parallel faces formed on said block normal to said crankshaft and offsetlongitudinally from each other, a plate supported from said faces, rigidpads positioned along a line transverse to said crankshaft and spacingsaid plate from one of said faces, a flexible pad spacing said platefrom the other of said faces, gasket means positioned :between saidplate and said one face and extending around the end of said crankshaft,a generally bell-shaped clutch housing having a flange around the rimthereof and positioned against the opposite side of said plate from saidblock, means clamping said flange to said block'along the line of saidrigid pads, and other means clamping said flange to said block adjacentto said flexible pad.

2. In combination with a motor block having a crankshaft therein,parallel faces formed on said block normal to the axis of saidcrankshaft and offset longitudinally from each other, a plate secured toone of said faces, a pad secured to said plate and arranged to abutagainst other of said faces, said pad including flexible materiaLagenerally bell-shaped clutch housing'having a flange around a portion ofthe rim thereof and positinned against said plate on the opposite sideof said plate from said block, means clamping said housing to said blockalong a line passed horizontally and normally through said crankshaft,and means extending through said pad on said plate for clamping saidflange to said block.

3. In combination with a motor block having a crankshaft therein,parallel races formed on said motor block normal to the axis of saidcrankshaft and offset longitudinally from each other, a plate, rigidpads having a relatively small area compared to the area of said plateand secured to said plate, said pads being positioned along a lineextending transversely of said plate, a flexible pad secured to saidplate and spaced from the line of said rigid pads, means securing saidplate to said block with said rigid pads positioned against one of saidfaces and on opposite sides of said crankshaft, said flexible padengaging the other of said faces, a generally bell-shaped clutchhousinghaving a flange around a portion of the rim thereof andpositioned against said plate on the opposite side of said plate fromsaid block, means positioned along the line of said rigid pads forclamping said housing to said block, and other means extending throughsaid flexible pad for clamping said flange to said block.

4. In combination with a motor block and a clutch housing, means forclamping said block and housing together comprising a bolt extendingbetween said block and housing, a deformable pad positioned between saidblock and housing and around said bolt, and a sleeve positionedtelescopically around said bolt and spacing the shank of said bolt fromsaid housing for limiting the degree to which said pad may be compressedbetween said block and housing.

5. Means for securing a clutch housing to a motor block comprising adeformable pad car'- ried between said block and said housing, clampingmeans for drawing said housing toward said block, and spacer meansextending between said clamping means and said block for limiting thecompression of said flexible-pad.

6. A connection between a motor block memher and a clutch housing membercomprising a deformable pad positioned between said members, a rigidconnecting member secured to one of said first mentioned members,clamping means carried by said connecting member and engageable with theother of said first mentioned members, and "spacer means positionedbetween said clamping means and one of said first mentioned members.

7. In combination with a motor block having a crankshaft, a generallybell-shaped clutch housing, means securing said housing to said blockalong a horizontal line passed transversely through the axis of saidcrankshaft, other means securing the edge of said housing to said blockat a point removed from the line of said first connecting means,andfiexible means positioned between said housing and said block "andaround said other means.

8. A connection between a motor block and a clutch housing comprisingmeans along a first portion of the juncture between said motor block andhousing forming a fulcrum about which said block and said housing arefree relatively to rock, a cushion interposed between said housing andblock at another portion of the juncture and opposite said first portionin order relatively to space and insulat said block and housing, andmeans between said block and housing serving to compress said cushionand limit the separating movement thereof.

NTLS ERIK WAI-ILBERG. WALLACE S. BERRY.

